GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Col. John Davis, Air Education and Training Command command surgeon, and Col. Betty Venth, 359th Medical Wing commander, visited Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Feb. 20.
The visit offered insight into the medical services provided at Goodfellow and the precautions taken to help students complete their courses.
The tour started with a detailed immersion at the 17th Medical Group, where they were briefed on the ongoing efforts to enhance healthcare delivery and support Goodfellow’s readiness mission.
“There’s a huge training mission here, and it’s very important to the Air Force’s mission,” said Davis. “So it’s critical we get a sense of what things are going well and what things we can help support so training is not impeded and the mission continues.”
From there, Davis and Venth met with the Operational Support Team, a group of medical providers embedded within various squadrons on rotation. This team is equipped with the skills and knowledge to address a wide range of health issues, from physical injuries to mental health concerns and even lifestyle-related conditions.
The visit concluded with Davis and Venth observing the medical group’s training day, a monthly event designed to bolster the knowledge and capabilities of medical personnel across the base. This training day focused on keeping Airmen up-to-date with the latest medical protocols and enhancing teamwork within the medical community.
“We are all teammates here to make sure that the Air Force mission is successful, and the 17th MDG has proven to be a highly functioning team that has made some great strides in ensuring that members can support that mission,” said Venth.
The visit reinforced the importance of cross-functional cooperation, operational readiness and the critical role that medical and emergency response teams play in the overall effectiveness of the Air Force.